The benefits of breastfeeding are innumerable and logical, if we consider that it is the food resulting from thousands of years of evolution. The specificity of breast milk is such that it matches the needs of newborn babies in the same way that a key fits with its lock.
One of the benefits that has already been commented on other times and that returns to the fore is that it says that Breastfeeding helps prevent the development of mental problems, or what is the same, helps to maintain a more balanced mental health than babies who do not take it.
This statement comes from a study conducted at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Australia, where they have followed a group of children from birth to age 14.
How many children participated
The investigation, led by Wendy Oddy, began in 1989, when 2,900 women who were between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy were contacted.
The study finally had 2,366 participants and took into account what milk they drank and how long breastfeeding lasted (more or less than six months). After this they conducted behavioral and psychopathological questionnaires to children when they were one, two, three, five, eight, ten and fourteen.
Other factors that were taken into account
Breastfeeding or the absence of it is not the only factor that can alter or balance the mental health of children. That is why, when studies of this type are discussed, we usually think of “Manolito”, the son of “Luisa”, the baker, who took a tit up to two years and has serious behavioral problems or “Pedro”, my nephew, who He never tried a drop of breast milk and is the perfect example of a healthy, sensible, respectful and balanced child.
Examples like these we all know and can be cited without problems cases that say the opposite of this study and cases that confirm the results, however we must take into account that what is explained with these studies is a trend in similar conditions and therefore, within the 2,366 participants, other factors that could help to unbalance the balance of children's mental health were taken into account.
These factors were the mother's age at birth, the educational level, family structure, the level of stress at home, the weight and height of the baby at birth, and the presence or absence of postpartum depression.
Results
The results of the study, published in 'The Journal of Pediatrics', are as follows:
11% of the 2,366 children never breastfed. 19% did so for less than three months and another 19% drank breast milk for three to six months. 28% drank breast milk between six and twelve months and 24% took a year or more.
The data reveals that breastfeeding for less than six months is related to an increase in mental health diseases from childhood to adolescence.
This happens both in internalizing (depression, anxiety ...) and externalizing (behavioral, antisocial or personality disorder ...) disorders as well as in behavioral problems and the difference is maintained even after taking into account social, family, economic factors and psychological, as well as for significant behavioral problems ... And this association persists after taking into account social, family, economic and psychological factors in the first years of life, "clarifies the study.
According to the researchers, the reasons why this happens can be several. On the one hand they think that contact with the mother during breastfeeding may favor the development of neuroendocrine aspects necessary for the stress response.
On the other hand it is believed that the presence of fatty acids Y bioactive components in breast milk they could help prevent the aforementioned psychological disorders.
Wendy Oddy, speaking about this second hypothesis, comments on the components of breast milk:
They are essential for development and also influence the stress response. Thus, the hormone leptin reduces it through its action in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland, while artificial milks have a depressive effect on the child's behavior.
The study authors urge the development of programs that encourage mothers to prolong breastfeeding "in order to benefit the mental health of their children".
